Chevrolet SparkChevrolet…..it’s one of those names that the British buyer is apt to bundle together with numerous other American monikers, conjuring up a vision of be-winged behemoths longer than an oil tanker and about as fuel thirsty. Well in the case of Chevy it’s certainly not so, and their latest creation, the Spark, is a wee hatchback that not only sips fuel daintily but is small enough to make parking a slice of the proverbial cake. However, though built in Korea – replacement for the Matiz – it’s an American car, so how does it compare to the best of the Euro opposition?The first element to look at is the price, which compared to similarly sized opposition such as the Ford Ka, is impressively attractive. You’d expect the base model to be sparsely furnished, and indeed it is, though to be fair even this one is fitted with front, side and curtain airbags and a height-adjustable driver’s seat. But the top Spark, with a price tag still in four figures, comes with loads of kit: electronic stability control, remote locking, climate control, electric windows/mirrors, trip computer, roof rails, and useful touches such as the under-seat storage tray and steering wheel audio controls.The Spark is based on GM’s ‘Global Mini Car Architecture’, which will be on sale in more than 100 countries worldwide between now and 2013. The Spark itself will be sold across Europe, Australia, Korea and even the USA, reflecting the significant changes in consumer trends, even in countries where small cars have previously never made much of an impact in the market.At 3.64 metres long, which is less than twelve feet, the Spark doesn’t have too many millimetres with which to cosset its passengers, but in fact leg room in both front and back seats is pretty generous. Sitting behind my favoured driving position, knees only just touched the front seat, and there’s plenty of head room; thanks to it being a 5-door car, entry to those rear seats is no problem either. All the seats are comfortable, with a sensible degree of lateral support, and over a fairly long test route covering every type of road to be found in Northants and Oxfordshire it was evident that despite the condition of some of that lot, the Spark gave us a comfortable ride and ample reserves of roadholding that belied its short wheelbase.Engine choice is limited…....to petrol. We started with the 1-litre unit, which if you keep the revs above 2000 is a willing enough companion. On the motorway the lack of engine noise was a surprise, and neither wind nor tyre noise were that noticeable either. The 1.2 has not only 20% more capacity, but around that much more power too; alas, it’s got at least that much extra noise as well. Generally louder, the sound becomes noticeably raucous when you open the throttle wide. Having driven both engines, I can safely say my choice would be the smaller of them.Interior décor is nicely done. For those who eschew colour, many models have a heavy dark grey facia – it’s bulky, solid, and rattle-free. But if colour turns you on, then Chevy will oblige, with sections of facia and door panels picked out in the car’s body colour, or something pretty near it. It looks good, and it looks bright. Focal point of the cabin is the motorcycle-style instrument ‘pod’, which sits on top of the steering column and delivers all of the essential information. The analogue speedo is backed up by a digital tacho, backlit by ice blue lighting when the headlights are turned on.Boot space is officially 170/568 litres, which at its minimum is not big, and is of course the penalty for that generous rear seat leg room. Actual length of the boot is just 52cm before folding the rear seats, which can be done fully and easily, once you’ve got the front seats forward enough and have coped with what are flimsy seat cushion attachments.Overall, and even ignoring the petite price tag, the Spark has a lot going for it. The design is attractive……as the company puts it: “The exterior of the Spark features a ‘wheels-out; body in’ stance, its single arc roofline accentuated by strong, clean body sides free of cladding. The appearance is sleek, slightly aggressive, and unmistakably more upmarket than a number of mini car rivals, which tend to favour a more ‘cute’ approach”.Launch timing is possibly less than ideal for a small car, as the government scrappage scheme has just finished. But the company makes a lot of claims for the car, some of which do indeed stand up to British scrutiny. I don’t suppose, for instance, that there will be many owners regretting the presence of a timing chain in their engine, instead of a belt. And only Chevrolet could make the bold claim that their cars have appeared in popular music more often than any other car brand.Size: 3.64m x 1.60mEngines: Petrol: 1.0 & 1.2 litres – 68 & 81PSGearbox: 5-speed manual FWDBest Consumption: Both engines – 55.4mpgPrice at March ’10: £6,945 to £9,845Full details of the Chevrolet Spark range available on the manufacturer’s website: www.chevrolet.co.ukPeter CracknellMarch 2010
Chevrolet Spark
Chevrolet…..it’s one of those names that the British
buyer is apt to bundle together with numerous other
American monikers, conjuring up a vision of be-
winged behemoths longer than an oil tanker and
about as fuel thirsty. Well in the case of Chevy it’s
certainly not so, and their latest creation, the Spark,
is a wee hatchback that not only sips fuel daintily but
is small enough to make parking a slice of the
proverbial cake. However, though built in Korea –
replacement for the Matiz – it’s an American car, so
how does it compare to the best of the Euro
opposition?
The first element to look at is the price, which
compared to similarly sized opposition such as the
Ford Ka, is impressively attractive. You’d expect the
base model to be sparsely
furnished, and indeed it is,
though to be fair even this
one is fitted with front, side
and curtain airbags and a
height-adjustable driver’s
seat. But the top Spark,
with a price tag still in four
figures, comes with loads
of kit: electronic stability
control, remote locking,
climate control, electric
windows/mirrors, trip
computer, roof rails, and
useful touches such as the
under-seat storage tray
and steering wheel audio
controls.
The Spark is based on
GM’s ‘Global Mini Car
Architecture’, which will be on sale in more than 100
countries worldwide between now and 2013. The
Spark itself will be sold across Europe, Australia,
Korea and even the USA, reflecting the significant
changes in consumer trends, even in countries
where small cars have previously never made much
of an impact in the market.
At 3.64 metres long, which is less than twelve feet,
the Spark doesn’t have too many millimetres with
which to cosset its passengers, but in fact leg room
in both front and back seats is pretty generous.
Sitting behind my favoured driving position, knees
only just touched the front seat, and there’s plenty of
head room; thanks to it being a 5-door car, entry to
those rear seats is no problem either. All the seats
are comfortable, with a sensible degree of lateral
support, and over a fairly long test route covering
every type of road to be found in Northants and
Oxfordshire it was evident that despite the condition
of some of that lot, the Spark gave us a comfortable
ride and ample reserves of roadholding that belied its
short wheelbase.
Engine choice is limited…....to petrol. We started
with the 1-litre unit, which if you keep the revs above
2000 is a willing enough companion. On the
motorway the lack of engine noise was a surprise,
and neither wind nor tyre noise were that noticeable
either. The 1.2 has not only 20% more capacity, but
around that much more power too; alas, it’s got at
least that much extra noise as well. Generally louder,
the sound becomes noticeably raucous when you
open the throttle wide. Having driven both engines, I
can safely say my choice would be the smaller of
them.
Interior décor is nicely done. For those who eschew
colour, many models have a heavy dark grey facia – it’s
bulky, solid, and rattle-free. But if colour turns you on,
then Chevy will oblige, with sections of facia and door
panels picked out in the car’s body colour, or something
pretty near it. It looks good, and it looks bright. Focal
point of the cabin is the motorcycle-style instrument
‘pod’, which sits on top of the steering column and
delivers all of the essential information. The analogue
speedo is backed up by a digital tacho, backlit by ice
blue lighting when the headlights are turned on.
Boot space is officially 170/568 litres, which at its
minimum is not big, and is of course the penalty for that
generous rear seat leg room. Actual length of the boot
is just 52cm before folding the rear seats, which can be
done fully and easily, once you’ve got the front seats
forward enough and
have coped with what
are flimsy seat cushion
attachments.
Overall, and even
ignoring the petite price
tag, the Spark has a lot
going for it. The design
is attractive……as the
company puts it: “The
exterior of the Spark
features a ‘wheels-out;
body in’ stance, its
single arc roofline
accentuated by strong,
clean body sides free of
cladding. The
appearance is sleek,
slightly aggressive, and
unmistakably more
upmarket than a number of mini car rivals, which tend
to favour a more ‘cute’ approach”.
Launch timing is possibly less than ideal for a small car,
as the government scrappage scheme has just
finished. But the company makes a lot of claims for the
car, some of which do indeed stand up to British
scrutiny. I don’t suppose, for instance, that there will be
many owners regretting the presence of a timing chain
in their engine, instead of a belt. And only Chevrolet
could make the bold claim that their cars have
appeared in popular music more often than any other
car brand.
Size:
3.64m x 1.60m
Engines:
Petrol: 1.0 & 1.2 litres – 68 & 81PS
Gearbox:
5-speed manual FWD
Best Consumption:
Both engines – 55.4mpg
Price at March ’10:
£6,945 to £9,845
Full details of the Chevrolet Spark range available on the
manufacturer’s website: www.chevrolet.co.uk
Peter Cracknell
March 2010
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